The south side water tower could soon be sporting school colors. It’s just an idea at this point, but city leaders are considering a new design for the tower that would include a black and yellow paint job as well as the Perham Yellowjackets name and logo. One possible design calls for a black stem and mostly black ball at the top, with a thick yellow stripe around the middle of the ball, where the logo and name would be painted. Another possibility is similar to that, but would keep the whole ball yellow. The Yellowjackets name could also be painted down the side of the stem. These ideas were tossed around at a meeting of city councilors and department heads last week. The tower, which is in need of a new paint job, has been a topic of discussion at city meetings recently. It could simply be repainted as-is — a light blue color with the city name and a nature-themed design at the top — or it could get a brand new look, such as the Yellowjacket design. City engineer Jade Berube has said a new design would likely cost more than simply repainting over what’s already there, but councilors are interested in finding out exactly how much more it would be. While no final decisions have been made, councilors seemed open to bidding this project out with two possible cost options: one, keeping the tower the same; and two, painting on a new design. If the cost difference isn’t too extreme, they may be interested in moving forward with something new. City Manager Kelcey Klemm said the idea of a Yellowjacket-themed tower made sense to him, since the tower sits right next to the schools. The tower is also easily visible from Highway 10, and therefore could be used as a way to promote Perham Pride and the Yellowjackets. “I’ve always thought, it’s a huge billboard right alongside the highway, why not use it?,” said councilor James Johnson. Students are even getting directly involved in the design process. The school district has been contacted regarding student artists’ renderings of possible tower designs, and those are expected to be complete in time to be presented at the March 11 city council meeting.

Marie Johnson (formerly Nitke) came to the Perham Focus after several years as the Education and Arts & Entertainment Editor at the Herald-Review of Grand Rapids, Minn. She lives in rural Ottertail with her husband, Dan, and their spunky yellow lab, Louisa.